Fireworks, weapons light skies as 2024 comes
By Nidz Godino
"It was black year full of tragedies," said 37-year-old evacuee fled city with his wife and three children to UN shelter in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Fireworks illuminated skies over Paris, Rio and Sydney to celebrate entry to 2024, while in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine, rockets and strikes marked year's earliest hours.
Much of the world's population now more than eight billion is hoping to shake off high living costs and global tumult in 2024, which will bring elections concerning half of the world's population and Paris Olympics.
But with new year barely started, there were already ominous signs: at stroke of midnight in Gaza barrage of rockets was fired towards Israel twisted reflection of fireworks lighting up night skies elsewhere around the world.
In New York City, thousands of visitors lined up for chance to see annual dropping of giant illuminated ball in Times Square.
Nearby stallholders hawked vuvuzelas and 2024-branded hats as police fanned out across central Manhattan, towing suspicious cars, closing roads and manning ring of steel screening would-be revelers.
Hours earlier, more than million partygoers had packed in around harbor in Sydney, self-proclaimed "New Year's capital of the world," to watch eight tons of fireworks.
Pyrotechnics also illuminated skies in Auckland, Hong Kong, Manila and Jakarta.
Nudist bathers wearing Santa hats waded into mild waters of southern France, while revelers danced in streets in Greece's Thessaloniki.
In Denmark, popular Queen Margrethe II, Europe's longest-serving monarch, chose her New Year's Eve address to announce her coming abdication.
83-year-old monarch will step down in favor of her son, Crown Prince Frederik, after 52 years on throne.
Last 12 months brought "Barbenheimer" to box office, proliferation of human-seeming artificial intelligence tools, and world-first whole-eye transplant.
India outgrew China as the world's most populous country, and then became first nation to land unmanned craft on Moon's south pole.
It was also hottest year since records began in 1880, with spate of climate-fuelled disasters striking across the world.
Fans bade adieu to "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" Tina Turner, "Friends" actor Matthew Perry, hell-raising Anglo-Irish songsmith Shane MacGowan and master dystopian novelist Cormac McCarthy.
2023 will be remembered for war in Middle East, after Hamas' unprecedented Oct. 7 raids on southern Israel and Israel's ferocious reprisals on Gaza.
United Nations estimates almost two million Gazans have been displaced since Israel's siege began, or about 85 percent of peacetime population.
With once-bustling Gaza City neighborhoods reduced to rubble, there were few places left to mark new year and fewer loved ones to celebrate with.
"God willing this war will end, new year will be better one, and we will be able to return to our homes and rebuild them, or even live in tent on rubble," he told media.
"Minute I start dancing, sadness and mourning come back," said elderly man whose friend died at trance music festival during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
Some in Vladimir Putin's Russia were also weary of conflict, in Ukraine.
"In the new year I would like war to end, new president and return to normal life," said 55-year-old theatre decorator and Moscow resident.
But Putin himself remained bullish in his New Year's Eve address, vowing Russia "will never back down."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's New Year's Eve address, after nearly two years of war, was defiant.
Ukrainian pilots were mastering F-16 warplanes supplied by their allies, he said. In 2024, "we will definitely see them in our skies…so that our enemies can certainly see what our real wrath is."
Russia would also feel full force of Ukraine's domestic arms production, he added, including at least a million drones.
In Rome, Pope Francis prayed for victims of conflicts around globe, including people of Sudan and "martyred Rohingya" of Myanmar.
"At the end of year, have courage to ask how many lives have been torn apart in armed conflicts, how many deaths?" 87-year-old pontiff said after his Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square.
"And how much destruction, how much suffering, how much poverty,,,those who have interest in these conflicts, listen to voice of conscience."
Several pivotal elections are scheduled in 2024, with political fate of more than four billion people to be decided in contests that will shape Russia, Britain, European Union, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Venezuela and host of other nations.
But one election in particular promises global consequences.
In United States, Democrat Joe Biden, 81, and Republican Donald Trump, 77, appear set for November rerun of their divisive 2020 presidential contest.
Biden marked new year by proclaiming optimism for US economy and his well-known love for chocolate-chip ice cream.
In televised appearance ahead of New York celebrations, he touted his country's resilience after pandemic, announcing that American people "are back."
As incumbent, Biden has at times appeared to show his age and even supporters worry about toll of another bruising four years in office.
There are at least as many concerns about Trump return.
He faces prosecution on several counts, and 2024 could determine whether bombastic self-proclaimed billionaire goes to Oval Office or jail.
Philippine National Police (PNP) has reported significant increase in number of firecracker-related incidents during New Year's Eve celebration.
Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP public information chief, said in a phone interview with reporters total of 509 cases were reported on first day of 2024.
"This number is expected to rise as additional reports from hospitals are processed," Fajardo said.
PNP report is higher than 231 cases of fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) reported by Department of Health as of 5:59 in the morning although Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said DOH figure might also go up.
"It is possible that number of (FWRI) cases would still go up since there could be delay in reporting from some of our sentinel sites and hospitals... but I can tell you, number is higher than last year," Herbosa said in online briefing.
He also said 231 cases included youngest, 11-month-old boy, and the oldest, 76-year-old man.
"It is first New Year without any restrictions on movement due to pandemic, only community fireworks displays were allowed…this time, people started using firecrackers again… cases went up," Herbosa pointed out.
Ninety-three percent of new cases occurred at home and in streets, with seven out of 10 or 71 percent of injured being males.
National Capital Region reported most number of cases, followed by Central Luzon with 27 cases and Ilocos Region with 24.
Regions with lowest number of cases are Davao Region and Mimaropa with one case each; Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Cordillera Autonomous Region with three cases each.
Bureau of Fire Protection also reported zero firecracker-related fires from Dec. 24 to 31 last year.
Fire Superintendent Annalee Carbajal-Atienza, BFP spokesperson, attributed zero cases to information campaign BFP launched to prevent incident and visibility of firetrucks in many areas in Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported fireworks during New Year's celebration caused thermal inversion, with smog enveloping Metro Manila skies.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Rhea Torres said pollutants from firecrackers accumulated during that time, causing reduced visibility in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
"We examined our data and we saw we experienced thermal inversion…these are smokes from firecrackers and accumulated below, resulting in reduced visibility compared to normal days… thermal inversion will disperse once hot wind will go up and pollutants from firecrackers will be dispersed," Torres said.
She advised those with respiratory problems to wear masks amid threat of pollutants from thermal inversion. "It is harmful especially to those with respiratory problems like asthma, so as much as possible if you will go out, it is better to wear mask."
Torres explained thermal inversion was different from volcanic smog from Taal Volcano.
"Volcanic smog was caused by sulfur dioxide from volcano while thermal inversion was caused mostly by pollutants or particulates in atmosphere that cannot go up… pollutants are trapped because of cold wind above land," Torres added. Smog was experienced in Metro Manila on Sept. 22, 2023 due to excessive emission of heavy traffic, especially during rush hour.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources has set normal air quality at 35 micrograms per normal cubic meter.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) seized 11,101 assorted illegal firecrackers with estimated value of nearly P400,000 during New Year revelry.
NCRPO said 5,947 illegal firecrackers were confiscated by Quezon City Police District.
Northern Police District seized 1,228 banned firecrackers, followed by Eastern Police District with 1,103; Manila Police District, 292; Southern Police District, 225, and Regional Special Operations Group with 2,381.
NCRPO said 13 people have been arrested for illegal use, sale and possession of fireworks.
Police have recorded over 30 firecracker-related injuries across metropolis.
Nearly 4,000 police personnel were deployed in Metro Manila to ensure safe and peaceful New Year's celebration.
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